The Philadelphia 76ers are going through tough times months before the 2023-24 NBA season gets underway. Their plan to help Joel Embiid with James Harden could fall apart, as The Beard reportedly wants out.
The veteran guard opted into a player option this offseason, but only to get traded. Since the Sixers have failed to grant his wish so far, Harden has publicly declared he doesn’t want to work with Daryl Morey anymore.
It remains to be seen whether Harden ultimately gets what he wants, but it looks like a matter of time before he finally leaves. In the meantime, other teams seem to be monitoring Embiid’s situation.
Which teams are reportedly interested in Joel Embiid?
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, both the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks are keeping an eye on Joel Embiid in case he wants out of Philly.
“I do believe that the Knicks and Heat are among the teams monitoring the situation because they would wish to be at the front of the line if Embiid did ask out,” Stein wrote.
“Both Knicks president Leon Rose and his top aide William Wesley were at Embiid’s recent wedding and, while true that Rose and Wesley used to represent Embiid as player agents, it has been suggested that their attendance was ‘not nothing.’
“Heat star Jimmy Butler, meanwhile, remains close to Embiid in the wake of their mere six-ish months as teammates together in Philadelphia.”
Embiid made some noise by deleting references to the city of Philadelphia in recent weeks, but he never said anything about wanting out. However, when it comes to a player’s future, nothing is certain.
